Lamp socket



y 6, 1954 w. H. CHURCHILL 2,633,258

LAMP SOCKET Filed April 13, 1950 INvENToR: WILMER H. CHURCH\LL B awl-viz A'r-ron N EY.

Patented July 6, 1954 I UNIT-ED SYI'A-T ES PAT ENT OFFICE LAMP SIOCKET Wilmer H. Churchill, Wellesley, Mass, assignor to United-Carr .Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., acorporationof Massachusetts Application April 13, 1950, Serial No.v 155,67 '1 1 Claim. .-.1

.Thisinvention relates to lamp-socket assemblies for automobiles and thelike, and more particularly to improvements in water-proof and .dusteproof lamp socket'assemblies of the turn-in typexand aims generally to improve existing devicesof this type.

:;A1.,-primary object of the invention is the provision of a lamp socket construction embodying a novel arrangement of sealing means for, preventing the-entryofdust, dirt,-water and the like.

:A"f.urther object of the invention is the provision of-a'. simple and economical turn-in type lamp socket of improved construction adapted fort-sealing;engagementwith an apertured support torprevent the entry of dust, dirt and moisturee-intosaid; assembly. or: into and through an apertured support on which the assembly may be mounted.

.--A-no ther andwmorexspecific object of the invention-is the-provisionof novel sealing means for aturnf-inlampsocketadapted to prevent the entry-of-dusu-water.and. the like into the socket or-...through"an: apertured support on which the socket-may be mounted.

'Thesea-nd othenobjeots and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent to persons skilled in;.the::art'to which the-inventionv relates from a consideration of .the accompanying drawings and annexed. specification illustrating and describing a. preferred embodiment of the invention.

:In the drawings-- 11 isra 'side elevational view of adevice embodying the invention;

:,Fig.,;2.is an endview thereof looking from the right inqFig. 1;

Fig- 3 isan end view thereof looking from the ileftlin Fig- 1;

.Fig. 4-:is .axcross=sectional view of the device .takenxon the'line 44 of Fig. 3;

(Fig.5 is a. perspective view of the gasket member;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the gasket member; Fig. 7 is a side view of the gasket member; Fig. 8: isa partial cross-sectional view of the device as applied to an apertured support; and

Fig. 9 isa cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, showing the positions of the parts when the socket assembly isengaged with an apertured support.

Referring to the drawings, the invention, as illustrated, comprises a unitary socket assembly I adapted to be releasablylocked on a supporting [member '2 having an aperture fitherein. The aperture 3 is preferably circular in form and has oppositely disposed recesses or notches 4 communicating therewith for receiving the locking tongues hereinafter described.

.The unitary-socket assembly 1 comprises .a casing member Shaving a central body por.tion.6 adapted to. receive .alamp socket 1 andv a .base portion 8 adapted to. seat a resilienttensioning and locking member-9 and a positioning and retaining member ID. The .body portion 6 may .desirablybe provided with oppositely disposed wing. portions ll designed to facilitate manual manipulation .of .the socket assembly when mounting it on a support.

' The lamp socket 1 preferably hasa vpress-Ifit with the body portion 6 and is adapted .to supportv therein a contactcarrying plug of insulating material suchas Bakeliteor the like (notv shown) with, the lead wires therefrom passing through an opening. I2 in the end .ofthe body portion. The portion of .thesocket I projecting outwardly from the memberfi is adapted to receive a lamp of usual .construction andmay be provided with indentations, grooves or the like for cooperation with pins or projections on thelamp base.

' At one-end thereof the body portion 6 is 'provided with concentricallyarranged spaced sleeve members [3 and [4, extending outwardly from the end thereof around the opening l2, and adapted to receive therebetween an end ofa .piece of flexible tubingv Id of rubber orthe' like through which" the lead wires'from the contactcarrying block, mentioned hereinabove'may pass. The outer sleeve 14 may desirably be inwardly grooved, as shown at It, or otherwise indented or formed so as to peripherally engage the end of the tubing I5 and compress it againstthe inner of laterally extending inwardly curving spring fingers l8 engageable' with the-edge of the'aperture 3to properly position the assembly .I on the support 2. The flanged base portion I! may desirably be secured in mounted position .by curling the peripheral edge of thebase por-' tion 8 over and around the outer edge thereof and in clamping engagement therewith as shown at IS.

The tensioning and locking member's comprises an annular ring-like member 29 formed of resilient material and having tongues-Hand 22 extending outwardly from the periphery thereof. The tongues 2| and 22 extend into and through openings 23 and 24 in the member ID to thereby secure the member 9 in mounted position on the assembly 1 with the ring-like member 29 thereof positioned against the base member 8 inwardly of the flanged base portion H. In the arrangement shown, the projecting end portions of the tongues 2| are designed to enter the slotted openings i of the support aperture and to yieldingly engage the rear face of the support 2 adjacent the aperture 3 when the assembly is rotated. To facilitate such operation the tongues 2| are provided with outwardly inclined cam surfaces 25 and the ring-like portion 28 is transversely bent so that the cam surfaces 25 are spaced outwardly from the base portion 8 sufficiently to engage the edges of the slotted openings 4 to thereby force the tongues 2i outwardly into locking engagement with the rear face of the support. Such outward movement of the tongues 2| is resisted by the inherent resiliency of the ring-like portion 22 so that when the tongues 21 are so engaged, the assembly is tightly held against the support.

The tongues 22 are designed for sliding engagement with the outer face of a support around an aperture therein and for lockin engagement with the slotted openings 4 when the assembly is rotated through a quarter turn. The assembly is thus locked in mounted position but may be readily released by rotating it until the tongues 2| again enter the slotted openings 4.

In accordance with the invention, the socket assembly 1 is provided with novel and highly effective sealing means constructed and arranged to prevent the entry of dust and water into the socket assembly and into or through a support aperture in which it may be mounted.

In a preferred construction such sealing means comprises a resilient gasket member 26 preferably formed of rubber or equivalent rubber-like material and havin an annular base portion 2! provided with oppositely disposed flanged lip portions 29 and 29. The base portion 21 is designed to be held in sealing engagement with the base portion ll of the member Iii with the inner edges thereof positioned outwardly of but closely adjacent the spring fingers IS.

The flanged lip portion 28 extends rearwardly from the periphery of the base portion 21' substantially at right angles thereto and is designed to overlie the outer peripheral edge of the base portion I! of the member [6 as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 8.

The flanged lip portion 29 extends outwardly from the base portion 2! intermediate the inner and outer edges thereof and is adapted to sealingly engage a wall of a support when the device is assembled therewith. In a preferred construction the lip 29 is preferably flared outwardly, as shown, to facilitate and render more effective the sealing action above described.

The gasket member 26 is preferably secured in mounted position on the assembly I by curling the peripheral edge of the base portion 8 outwardly over and around the flanged lip 28 and the outer edges of the base portion 2? as shown at 19 in Figs. 4 and 8. During this operation the flanged lip 29, resting on the outer peripheral edge of the base portion ll, assists in maintaining the gasket member 2% in proper position so that a more effective sealing action between the socket elements and the gasket elements 21 and 28 is obtained.

When the gasket 26 is thus mounted, the flared lip 29 extends outwardly therefrom intermediate the fingers l8 and the inner edges of the curled flange l9 and in position to be spread outwardly against and in sealing engagement with an apertured support. By virtue of this construction an eifectively sealedjoint between the assembly and a support is always obtained regardless of minor variations in the size and position of parts.

In mounting the assembly on an apertured support 2, the assembly is positioned so that the tongues 2| lie opposite the openings 4. The assembly is then rotated to engage the cam surfaces 25 with the edges of the openings 4 thereby moving the tongues 2| into engagement with the rear surface of the support and drawing the assembly tightly against the front surface thereof. This causes the resilient flared lip 29 to spread out against the support 2, thus sealin the aperture and the socket against the passage or entry of dust, dirt and Water.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a novel arrangement of turn-in socket and sealing means therefor whereby the socket and the apertured support on which it is mounted is effectively sealed against the entrance of dust, dirt and water.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not intend to be limited thereto as the scope of the invention is best defined in the following claim.

I claim:

A lamp socket assembly comprising: a substantially tubular casing having a radially outwardly extending annular flange portion at one end and a radially inwardly extending annular flange portion at the other end defining a constricted aperture for receiving an electrical connection, a substantially tubular lamp base receiving member secured within said casing and extending axially therefrom to beyond said outwardly extending flange portion, positioning and retaining means disposed adjacent said outwardly extending flange portion and surrounding said lamp base receiving member for removably securing the lamp socket assembly in an aperture of a support, said positioning and retaining means having an annular attaching flange, an annular resilient gasket member including an annular radially outwardly extending base flange and an annular sealing lip flange extending radially and axially outwardly, said outwardly extending flange portion of said casing having a peripheral rim portion extending around and grip-ping to said outwardly extending flange portion the base flange of said sealing gasket and said attaching flange of said positioning and retainin means to provide a socket assembly having a resilient sealing lip for sealing engagement with the marginal portions of an apertured support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,271,981 Wright July 9, 1918 2,111,713 Watson Mar. 22, 1938 2,169,964 Murphy Aug. 15, 1939 2,208,437 Stearns July 16, 1940 2,248,399 Watts July 8, 1941 2,314,386 Brend Mar, 23, 1943 2,324,332 Stoddard July 13, 1943 2,572,813 Murphy Oct. 23, 1951 

